Toy steering mechanism



June 16, 1953 D. D. RAZE 2,641,869

TOY STEERING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5, 1949 Jiazzarzior 'vide a power Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE",

TOY STEERING MECHANISM Douglas Raz e, Minneapolis, Minn. Application August 3, 1949, Serial No. 108,333

This invention relates to toy devices and more particularly to combined power and steering mechanism therefor; e

It is a general object of the invention to proand steering unit for a toy device which will enable a powered toy to readily and promptly steer away from any obstacle which it might meet in its travel across the floor or other supporting surface.

The present invention is an improvement upon that disclosed and-claimed in my prior Patent Number 2,171,294, issued August 29, 1939. In that patent there was disclosed means whereby the toy would automatically steer away from an obstruction, but it was necessary for the steering mechanism to turn or pivot through a predetermined number of degrees before the toy would resume its forward progress. The present invention has as its general object the provision of automatic steering means which will cause the toy to resume its travel across a supporting surface as soon as the obstruction has been cleared 3 Claims. (Cl. 46211) and without having to turn through any predetermined arc of pivotal movement.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following descriptionmade in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Figure 2.

The device has a frame 5 in the form of a shelllike body whose side edges are turned inwardly and upwardly as at 6. The rear portion of the frame is supported by wheels 1 on an axle 8 which is shown in Figure 2 to extend between the upturned lower edge portions of the body or shell frame 5.

Extending downwardly from the upper forward portion of the body shell 5 is a vertical rod 9 having a bent lower end III which loosely fits an apertured ear II extending upwardly from a spring motor housing I2. The rod 9 is rotatably mounted and constrained against longitudinal displacement in a sleeve 23 mounted in the body shell 5. The spring motor housing I2 is mounted in a casing I3 and extending above the casing I3 is a U-shaped member I4 having a relatively large opening I5 therethrough and through which the rod 9 extends. This connection of the motor housing I2, casing I3 and U-shaped member I4 with the rod 9 permits that assembly to tilt relative to said rod 9.

Extending through the casing I3 is a front axle I9 which is connected to the spring motor unit I2 by means of a ring gear I! and pinion I8. Relatively large front wheels I9 are mounted on the axis I6. 7

A small bracket 20 extends downwardly from the casing I3 at one side thereof and rearwardly of the front axle I6. Mounted on the bracket 29 is a small wheel 2I which constitutes an automatic steering member. It shouldbe noted in' Figure 1 and in the full line position of Figure 3 that the small wheel 2I is located a slight distance above the ground line upon which wheels I and I9 rest.

The spring motor I2 is provided with a winding key 22. When it is wound and the device is placed on a supporting surface the toy will move forwardly until the motor runs down or until the toy meets an obstruction. When this happens, the body or frame member 5 will, of course, be stopped but the front wheels I9 will continue to rotate for a fraction of a revolution, thereby causing the entire wheel and axle assembly, the casing I3 and U-shaped member I4 to tilt rearwardly to the dotted line position of Figure 3. This will bring the small steering wheel or member 2| into contact with the ground surface and will elevate the left-hand wheel I9 as viewed in Figure 2, or the rear wheel, as viewed in Figure 3, leaving the other front wheel I9 in contact with the ground surface. The action of the spring motor will thereupon cause continued rotation of the right-hand wheel as viewed in Fig. 2, swinging the front wheel assembly around until it is disposed in a direction which will clear the body or frame member 5 from the obstruction. When this happens, the tilted wheel and axle assembly and its motor and casing will return to its normal position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. Thereupon the small steering member or wheel 2I will be raised from the ground surface and its adjacent track wheel I9 will again contact the ground surface and the toy will move oif in its new direction.

The vertical rod 9 extends upwardly through a sleeve 23 on the upper side of the body shell 5 and the extreme upper end of the rod is provided with a steering wheel 24. A simulated figure 25 is mounted on the top of the body behind the steering wheel. This figure is provided with an upper arm piece 26 and a lower arm piece 21, the two being connected by a pivot pin 28. The

upper arm piece 26 is connected to a pivot pin 29 carried by the body portion of the figure 25, as shown in Figure 1. The lower arm piece 21 is connected by a pivot pin 30 to the rim of the steering wheel 24, and when the rod 9 rotates during steering action of the wheel and axle assembly the steering wheel 24 will turn and the arm members 26 and 21 will move to simulate steering of the toy by the figure 25.

From the foregoing it will be: seen that: I have:- provided a toy device with a powered steering unit which is automatic and will steer the toy away from any obstacle which it might encounter. dependent wholly upon the type of obstruction which has been encountered. If, th'eztoy'strikesz an object at a right angle the, steering. device will move approximately through ninety degrees before the toy is released and travel over the floor or ground is resumed. If the toy should runinto-a U-shaped pocket whose widthis less. than-:suficientto permit the toy totturn. around,

the steering device will rotate through 180. de-- greesand causethetoytoback out of-thev pocket. As soon,- as the sides: of the pocket. are cleared by.- the; toy, the elevated wheel willd-rops to the ground and the. toy will move off in anew direc-- tion.

It. will,v of course,.be. understood that various changes may bemadein the. form, details, ar-- 1. In-atoy deyice,.a-frame unit, a rotary pow- 3 eredwheel. and axle unit. connectedtov and supporting at least a portion of said frame and tiltable. about.:. a, horizontal: axis relative to. said The degree of turning or steering action is;

4 frame, and a steering member carried by one of said units and shiftable with said wheel and axle unit during such tilting movement to elevate one side of said wheel and axle unit while leaving the other side of said wheel and axle unit to track in a curve.

2. In a toy device, a frame unit, a powered rotary wheel and axle unit connected to and supporting at least a portion of said frame and having relatively wide. tread limits, said wheel and axle unit being tiltablerelativetosaid frame and about its axle, and a steering member supported by one of said units and connected to and movable; by said wheel and axle unit in the tilting movement thereof, said steering member being operative to elevate one side of said wheel and. axleunit. whereby the wheel and axle unit will track in a curve and change the direction of travel of said unit.

3. In a toy device, a frame, a rotary wheel and axle: unit connected to.- and supporting. at.least'-a portion: of: said frame andhaving, a power. drive.

connection, said wheel and axleunit being, tiltable: about itseaxle, a: steering memberv carried. by said: unit at. one sidathereoiiv and tiltable therewith to elevate one side: of said wheel and, axle unitfrom-the ground, and, a connection between said? wheel; and: axlerunit andsaid framelimiting the tilting movement of said wheelandaxle unit. relativeztossaidframes DOUGLAS. D RAZE.

References Cited in. the. file of thispatent.-

UNITED; STATES, PATENTS Number Name Date 2 ,l17,59'7. Berger Ma /'17,, 1938' 2,171,294 Raze; Aug. 29, I939- 

